An Ode to Rocco

A colleague of mine wrote me a lovely note this afternoon appealing for more press coverage for his colleague, Rocco the Rock of Sesame Street. Rocco being one of my favorite characters, I of course agreed. What follows is the culmination of these events.
  
Ryan Dosier - Rocco. Wouldst a rock by any other name sound as sweet? I think not. For what other name speaks such monumental achievement as that of Rocco? For a staggering 12 years, Rocco has been firmly established as a rock-solid character on Sesame Street. Making his first appearance in the show's third decade of entertainment, Rocco has been a part of Sesame Street ever since, becoming someone that we all too often take for granite--er... granted.

As Zoe's pet rock, Rocco the basalt rock has displayed his versatile acting skills by dressing as a ballerina, a doctor, and he even got to play the bass in the Rock Rock Band. Rocco also has an extended family who visit him on his birthday including Rocky, Rockmoninov, Uncle Rock, Aunt Rock, and Little Rock; all of whom are exceptionally proud of the great work Rocco is doing in the show business.

But Rocco's greatest achievement is perhaps his ability to bring out a more three-dimensional side of Elmo. Whenever Rocco is present, Elmo displays jealousy, anger, resentment, and disbelief. Zoe often uses this to her advantage, claiming that Rocco would prefer going to the park as opposed to saying the alphabet. (However, true fans of Rocco know that he is a rock who appreciates his letters.)

Rocco has amassed quite a following in his tenure on the Street. The praise for the talented young rock actor seeps through interviews with the likes of Fran Brill and Kevin Clash. Fran Brill loves Rocco so much that she has even started a Facebook fan page that Rocco has since used as his own outreach to his many fans.

The page is riddled with wonderful tidbits about Rocco and his work, including his many personal interests:
"[Rocco] Enjoys skipping, splelunking, rappelling, '40s swing music, and decent masonry. Rocco can often be found dressed up in embarrassing costumes (not his choice). He is a great raconteur and tells side-splitting jokes."

Truly Rocco's vast filmography, versatility, and wonderful sense of humor have set in stone the career path of this shining young star. His talent is seemingly limitless and the peak of his career can't be far off. Recently, Rocco could be seen in the background of the Academy Award nominated film 127 Hours. He was up for the part of the rock that crushed James Franco's arm, but the producers decided to go with a boulder actor.

What does the future hold for Rocco? One can only speculate... and become a fan of him on Facebook to follow the career of this stalwart performer. A rolling stone may gather no moss... but there's nothing saying it can't gather a few Facebook fans along the way.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier